Does that hurt?
Is that why you're screaming? Oh shut up, it isn't that bad. It's just my knife, it's just your shoulder.
You left me all alone, didn't you? You deserve this. All of this. Oh stop screaming.
Fine, I'll get the gag. There. Much better. Much quieter. Do you see this little bottle? Can you guess what it does? If you breath this in, which you will, it feels like you're on fire inside. I made it myself. Clever, isn't it? Just a few drops on a cloth, then put the cloth over your nose.
Oh for God's sake stop struggling. There we go. Breath it it. Good.
I wonder how long it take to kick in- oh, oh your really lurching now, aren't you? I suppose we should consider it kicked in.
You're going to a pull a muscle if you don't stop that. Look at how tense you are, deary me, it's more effective than I could have ever imagined.
Oh hush now, don't be a baby.
You always were so weak. A follower. You would walk off a cliff so long as someone was in front you. You're pathetic, and no matter how much you do, you'll always be pathetic.
Do you think they love you? Really? How... niave of you. They're using you. All of them.
You don't need them, you never did. All you ever needed was me.
But no. You left me. So I'm doing this to you. You're dreaming right now, and I can still make you scream. Make you writhe. Make every muscle burn, ever nerve twitch.
I was always stronger than you. But now? I'm invincible.
So join me. Join me
"Dexter!"
Ezra was clutching Dexter's cold, clammy bare shoulders, a look of fear and concern on her face. It was his fifth dream this week alone. He wouldn't tell her what they about, but he would scream and lurch and claw at his skin in his sleep and Ezra was scared. Dexter sat up and pulled Ezra onto his lap and held her there, his head buried into her shoulder, crying silently. Ezra held on to him tightly, stroking his hair with one hand. "What is it Dexter?" She asked quietly, but he shook his head in reply. "I can't." He whispered. They sat like that for a very long time, in silent. Once Dexter's wasn't threatening to leap through his chest, they both laid down again. Ezra gently kissed his jaw, and curled herself against him, her arms wrapped around his arm, her hand holding his. "I love you." She whispered sleepily.
He looked at her for the longest moment. "I love you too." He said.
He knew who was in the dream. He knew that they could kill everybody if they put their mind to it. Shattered fragments of dark memories flooded him, chasing each other around. What if Ezra found out? What would she do? What about Skulduggery? He knew some of it, certainly more than Ezra did, but even he didn't know the extent of it. Dexter gut twisted with unforgivable guilt. He had done it though. There were no excuses good enough. There were no explanations that would fill the gaping hole of regret in his chest. He was a monster, and the person in the dream was right. He was weak. He couldn't fix what he had done no matter how hard he tried. He was a monster and that was all there was. He looked at Ezra. She was good. She had no dirty secrets like Skulduggery or Valkyrie or even himself. How would she react? Would she still love him? He thought of the ring in the velvet box in his jacket pocket. Would she say yes if she knew? She didn't have to find out, not really. But she did. Dexter couldn't get too serious with her unless she knew everything. But he didn't want to tell her.
He didn't go back to sleep, he couldn't. So he ran the fingers of his free hand through Ezra's hair until the sun came up.

Okay, so since school has started I'm going to try to do weekly updates! I hope you're enjoying! Also, I don't have a reliable word count so some chapter are long and some are short, and my apologies for that. Hope you're enjoying! Please review!